Are you researching, writing, subbing? Had any acceptances or rejections? Any other news?
Feel free to use the as a picture prompt. If you'd like other writing prompts, short exercises and story/scene suggestions then you might find this book useful.
I'd love to hear your competition news.
Have you entered any writing comps? Had any luck? Heard about interesting contests? Got any tips to pass on? (Although I only feature free to enter competitions in my posts it's fine to share news about other competitions too.)
Do you have writing tips to share, questions to ask, or suggestions for this blog?
My news
We'll be reading the opening pages, getting interviewed and answering questions from attendees.
It's free to take part. Email ros@rjkind.com for the link.
15 comments:
At last! I was thrilled to get my first acceptance - SevenDays :) Patsy, do they let you know when likely publication? Also, just submitted my annual contribution to Isle of Wight Blind Society (a sort of 'national' Island one) Christmas story. An acceptance does wonders for morale! :) Good luck with the upcoming launch!
I haven't had a great experience with TPF.
After more than 12 weeks of a story being out, and no response, I politely chased it.
The story had got lost in the email subbing system.
So I was asked to re- sub it again.
I had a feeling that it had been mislaid.
It's a good job I'm not a hopeful, very eager newbie writer, getting excited and thinking after 12 weeks, it's going be an acceptance, isn't it?
If I was, I'd be terribly disheartened to:
A: Be forced to chase it for news and then
B: Discover that they had mislaid it, asked to re - sub and be expected to wait again for an unspecified amount of time for a decision
Would a newbie womag writer be put off by this process? Maybe.
I realise work can get lost, but if I'd have received the reject 12 weeks ago, the story could have been subbed elsewhere.
Thanks Patsy for the update and the invite, unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I have to work on Friday - the writing doesn't pay the bills, (more is the pity), I would much prefer to be at your virtual launch though.
On the writing, I had an acceptance from Ireland's Own for a Christmas story if I didn't mind them shortening it to 900 words due to space problems. I didn't mind but offered to do the editing which is probably for the best. Other than that I've had two acceptances from WW. I rarely ever enter any competitions but had a go at that one that Alison mentioned as I like writing memory pieces. I won't hold my breath but its a good exercise in editing if nothing else
@ Marguerite: Brilliant news, well done, let us know when its due to be published. It's a nice magazine.
@ Sharon: That's a bit annoying, isn't it, if you hadn't chased it up you would never know and assume it had been rejected.
Great news, Marguerite! Hoping this is the first of many acceptances. Congrats to Sheelagh, too - there's always something a bit special about a Christmas story acceptance, for me. Sharon, I hope you get some uplifting news soon. Patsy, if your launch is on a Friday, then I'm afraid I won't be able to make it, but I'll be reading your book,and mentioning it in my local library. I recently took part in the ALCS campaign asking MPs to raise the issue of an increase in Public Lending Right rates, which have seemingly been frozen at around 9p per borrow for years. My MP emailed me back this week to say that she certainly would do so, and taking an interest in my writing work - so that was very encouraging. Best wishes to all.
One sale to People's Friend this month. I'm currently working on serial ideas/proposals for them - sent off the first chapter and synopsis of a contemporary serial a couple of weeks ago, and am now about to start planning a historical one. Fingers crossed they work out.
@ Marguerite – Congratulations! I'm happy for you.
I was told, but it might have been different as mine was in the first issue.
@ Sharon – I think they're getting far more submissions than they can handle. Some of mine have been waiting almost 12 months for a reply!
@ Sheelagh – Well done with the IO story. I think I'd have offered to do the shortening myself too. (Not that I doubt the editor's ability to do it.)
@ Eirin – Sorry, it is in Friday.
Thanks so much for mentioning the book in the library. I've always been a fan of libraries and love that my book is in some of them. The increase in plr wouldn't help me much though as money only goes to people who have books in the selected sample libraries and it seems that no readers in the right locations are requesting mine.
It is encouraging to have an MP interested in your writing though, both for you and for all writers.
@ Liz – Well done for the sale and good luck with the serial(s)
I’ve had an acceptance and a slot for January in Woman mag and a rejection from TPF in the same week! More out there so keeping fingers crossed 🤞
I did not know that about selected sample libraries - that won't do me any good, either :(
I've had two very different stories published this week – one (based on the legend of St Triduana) in an anthology called Sea Change published by the Federation of Writers, Scotland, and a Christmassy story in The People's Friend Special (1700 words; they had a call-out for stories of this length in the summer, an interesting challenge).
I've also had an acceptance from SevenDays, but like Marguerite I don't know yet when it will be published. I'm also a finalist in a writing competition, but I haven't heard anything about any other submissions.
Good luck with the launch Patsy, looking forward to reading it! Chased up several stories with TPF but didn't get a response. Have to admit I am losing the motivation to sub any more stories when I have so many in the system. Good news from my weekly, Maggie accepted my first pocket novel I sent to them so exciting times. Was 1st selected in this months secret attic and longlisted in Strands publications short story comp. No news from SevenDays so I m taking that as a no as it appears stories are being accepted quite quickly. Good luck to everyone, keep the words flowing!
Thanks to Patsy telling me about SevenDays accepting fiction I have had a story in issue 5, out this week with Susie Dent on the cover, titled 'Grandma's Pear Drops' - this is my first womens mag story publication as i write mainly horror/ghost stories - though yonks ago I had a paid poem in 'The Lady' mag. I will submit again to Siobhan at SevenDays- they pay by cheque £75 as stated.
I have received an acceptance for a Christmas story from Seven Days and an acceptance from People's Friend today which has totally made my weekend. ��
Good luck to everyone with all your submissions. I've had the ubiquitous rejections too, but one acceptance makes up for all the rejections. Sharon
I have two stories currently with WW. I also had an ‘If we find a place...’ acceptance from them for another story in September. I haven’t heard anything from them since. I also subbed a story to Seven Days. Siobhan replied, saying she’d be in touch about any she wishes to take forward to publication. That was over a month ago, so I guess it’s a no, as from what others have said she seems to replying quite quickly. Good luck to everybody with their submissions and congratulations to those who’ve had acceptances.
Michael D
@ Charlie – Well done on the acceptance.
@ Eirin – It might if your books are in the right one(s). I was lucky for the couple of years I had books in libraries, as the sample was taken from my local area. I didn't get a lot, but it made me feel like a proper writer.
@ Kate – Well done. It's nice being able to write different types of story, isn't it?
@ Marian – Oh, well done to you too.
@ Chris – Well done on the PN and your other successes. I know what you mean about TPF. I have some which have been with them over a year and I've still heard nothing. It's frustrating. Probably is for them too.
@ Alyson – Well done! Seven Days do seem to be taking stories which aren't quite typical womag fiction.
@ Sharon – Well done! You're right about the acceptances making up for the rejections.
@ Michael – Congratulations on the possible acceptance. Frustrating not to know for sure, but obviously the editor liked it.
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